URANIUM EXPLORATION AND THE PROSPECTING DIRECTION, IN SOUTHWEST CHINA

Southwest China is one of the important areas where uranium is distributed. After exploration and research of 50 years, the metallogenic conditions for uranium deposits in Southwest China have been studied more deeply. It is found that uranium ore in Southwest China has more complete types, less deposits and more mineral occurrences, and the amount of uranium resources is disproportionate to the area of Southwest China. Researches of years show that Southwest China is characterized by thick crust, thick sedimentary cover, weak crust-mantle interaction, weak deep fluid activity in shallow strata, strong dynamic formation in shallow strata and obvious deep geologic process on block margins. In this paper, the control of deep geologic process and evolution in uranium metallogenisis in Southwest China is studied by employing new theories and thoughts on the fundamental concept that deep geologic process and evolution has important control on super-large scale deposits. The study focuses on the crust-mantle structure and evolution with uranium metallogenisis, structural and magmatic activity and deep fluid activity with uranium metallogenisis, and ore-controlling role of penetrating faults on block edges and inside the blocks. To offer theoretic basis for large-scale uranium deposit prospecting in Southwest China, the key research on uranium deposit in Southwest China in future should be on the deep geologic evolution and uranium metallogenesis in Western Qinling Region, the uranium metallogenesis of iron oxide copper gold deposits on Kangdian axis, the uranium metallogenesis in Yunnan-Guizhou contiguous area, the hydrothermal uranium metallogeneis in Eastern Tibet and Western Sichuan, and the connection between sandstone type uranium deposit and magmatic activity. Meanwhile, the above regions are also the key ones for uranium deposit prospecting in Southwest China in a rather long period in future.